Basra records 160 HIV/AIDS cases, official says more likely undetected

BASRA, Iraq — Health screenings and surveillance in Basra have identified 160 HIV/AIDS cases, with the actual number likely higher because some people have not sought testing, a member of Iraq's parliament said. Nawaf al-Mansuri, deputy head of parliament's Basra Health Commission, told a meeting of health experts and security officials that many cases may remain unregistered because patients have not visited health centers or undergone diagnostic tests. The meeting reviewed the current status of HIV in the province and stressed the need to strengthen early diagnosis and screening programs, raise health awareness and monitor practices that can transmit the virus. Mansuri said HIV can spread through unprotected sex and through procedures carried out at unlicensed beauty centers. According to Iraqi Health Ministry data, fewer than five AIDS cases are recorded per 100,000 people in the country, and the World Health Organization classifies Iraq as a low-prevalence HIV area.